Manuel Pellegrini says Liverpool couldn't deal with the pressure in last year's Premier League title race

Manchester City won the league on the final day of the 2013/14 season after their Merseyside rivals let a seven-point lead slip

Cracked: The Chilean boss believes that Liverpool threw away the title last season (Photo: Clive Mason)

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Manuel Pellegrini says Liverpool cracked under the pressure of last season’s Premier League title race.

Liverpool led Manchester City by seven points with four games left to go, only for Brendan Rodgers’ side to blow their chance of a first title for 24 years.

The two sides meet at the Etihad Stadium on Monday with Pellegrini suggesting Liverpool could not handle the pressure of closing out the title race, which City eventually won by two points.

Pellegrini was convinced City were still in the title race, despite them losing 3-2 to ­Liverpool at Anfield, with the Chilean proved right when his side capitalised on their rivals’ collapse to win it.

“I was absolutely convinced when I said the words that I said – ‘Careful it’s not finished’ because they had to play four games more,” said Pellegrini.

“The pressure when you are at the top of the table is increasing after every game.

“The most important thing for us was not to think about Liverpool but think about what we had to do.

“We had to win the five games and we did. That’s why it was not a surprise.

(Photo: Getty)

“The surprise was that we lost the game 3-2 because we played better.

“I can’t talk about what happened with Liverpool at that moment but, from my experience, when you are finishing the season the pressure increases every week for every team, not only for Liverpool.

“That’s why I was absolutely sure they weren’t going to win the five games that they had to play. It was so important that our team did it.”

Pellegrini said he was not concerned so much praise had been lavished on Liverpool for their sustained title push, while City failed to attract the same credit, despite winning their last five games to be crowned champions.

“I don’t know about that,” said Pellegrini. “The most important thing for us is to be the champions.

“Everyone says it’s a very difficult league and every team can beat any other team every weekend so when you have to play four more games and you have only a two point [lead] at the top, you cannot be sure of being champions.”

Sergio Aguero is set to remain on the bench for City on Monday, with Pellegrini not yet convinced he is ready to start, following his exertions for Argentina at the World Cup.

That means Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko are likely to start for City, with Pellegrini identifying the former as a key player this season, after his debut campaign was wrecked by injury.

(Photo: Stu Forster)

“I think Stevan is playing very well,” said Pellegrini. “He’s in a very good moment with us and I hope he will continue in the same way because he’s a very important and very good player for us.

“He has a lot of movement and if you review what happened last season, every time he went from the bench on the pitch he always scored.

“He’s a very good finisher and we will see the real Stefan Jotevic this season.

“As a manager the most difficult decisions is when you don’t have players. But when you have good players it’s easy because when you have so many games in the season you need to change them.

“Normally we will play around eight matches a month, so it doesn’t matter [having to change players].”

Pellegrini also paid tribute to Dzeko, whose turnaround last season has been rewarded with a new five-year deal.

“Edin has convinced himself that he can’t wait as a striker just to score one goal,” said Pellegrini.

“He has to play for 95 minutes every game, not always scoring, but working for the team and making the movements.

“I think he is one of the players who has improved most in his attitude in the game.”